The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN says there is no truth behind reports that he clashed with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the legality of the Governor Mai Mala-Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee and the conduct of the party’s ward congress across the federation penultimate Saturday.
Acting on a presidential directive, Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and law professor, had on July 30 met with other lawyers in the cabinet to review the Supreme Court decision on the Ondo gubernatorial election as pertained to the legality of the Buni-led committee and its implication for the party’s ward congress.
It was reported that all the lawyers in the cabinet except Malami agreed with Osinbajo’s position that the ward congress should be suspended.
Reports further claimed that Osinbajo directed Malami not to go ahead with the ward congress but the directive was ignored.
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However, the minister said in a statement through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Dr Umar Gwandu, that he had no hand in the conduct of the congress as it is entirely a party affair.
“It is important to put the record straight that congresses and the conduct thereof are a function of a political party and not the office of the Attorney General.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is not responsible for the implementation of directives relating to party administration as it is rightly known.
“It is, therefore, incongruous and antithetical to common sense to think that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice refusing to obey directives over which he has no legal responsibility to execute.
“The allegation does not represent the true position of things, please. It is a common knowledge that the two eminent personalities are both lawyers, hence could be entitled to their respective opinions within the context of Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that upholds freedom of expression.
“It is a tradition and normal experience in life that lawyers express divergent opinions which in some cases are not rooted in the majority decision of the Supreme Court on speculations and insinuations.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is not bound by any conclusion put across which should naturally be persuasive and not binding.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice remain law-abiding and wholeheartedly abiding by presidential directives,” the statement read.